Couldn't resist this picture taken on a recent holiday in Florence.  It's how I feel - just about to order tulips and trying to make the right decision.  Isn't this a gorgeous painting though, in a simple Church just around the corner from where we stayed - awesome.  One big surprise was having to make appointments to see the gorgeous largely private gardens in Florence.  How lucky we are in Herefordshire - such a wealth of stunning properties, many open in the Yellow Book for National Gardens Scheme and many superb larger gardens and nurseries within a very short distance - sometimes sneaking over the border into Worcestershire, Shropshire or Powys - many surrounding us.  Our favourites  within 20 miles are Stocktonbury Gardens and Hampton Court Gardens near Leominster; Hergest Croft in Kington, the Whimble Nurseries at New Radnor - but be quick as Elizabeth Taylor (yes really) closes a the end of September.  Westonbury Water Gardens near Pembridge are surprising and stunning and have the most entrancing dragon and cuckoo - you have to go to see!  As a bonus Upper Newton has just joined the great hortihub which collates and gathers all things good about gardening in our Marches borderlands and helps and promotes garden matters.
Now back to the tulip orders!  Queen of the Night has finally disappeared - helped by vine weevil in the round bed and age - so questions - what to drench with, which of the lovely compost heaps shall I spread there and what colour shall we have?

End of Harvest, beginning of wood pellet stove lighting. In the same week!

Just off on Saturday to an eco-dyeing course with Claire Cawte and Mandy Nash in Llantrisant Region 12 IFA - gathering leaves and bark in readiness for gorgeous alchemy.  Suddenly the leaves are turning and there is a chill in the garden.  The aeonium came in from the cold last night - I am not repeating the disgusting squidginess of last years disaster after the first frosts.

On the plus side we are just about to order tulips - a great buddy is having her wedding reception in our field next year - so I am trying to time the tulip and blossom display!  Challenging as peak cherry blossom time can stretch between three weeks as it did this year.  I am hoping that underplanting a new hedge of amelanchier's with vibrant tulips will do the trick!